It is known in the prior art of coin operated mechanical timing devices to collect deposited coins as payment for using such as a vehicle parking space, to audit and display remaining time allowed for legitimate parking, and to provide a warning sign when parking violation occurs. (For example, such devices are known as parking meters.)
A typical and widely known type of a mechanical parking meter is the Ducan type of parking meter (Ducan is a registered trade mark of Duncan Industries, a division of Qonaar Corporation of Elkgrove Village, Ill.).
Existing types of mechanical timing devices have approximately equal function and consist of similar components comprising, a mechanical timer, containing a mechanical clock and a clock winding device; a ratcheted coin carrier mechanism containing a coin carriage with a winding pawl, a mechanical coin validating system to accept and handle the deposited coins; and a pointing and flagging mechanism to display on a dial the remaining time and to provide warning signals when violating conditions occur. Such mechanisms are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,799,056 and 2,603,288, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference, specifically the teachings of which include the state of the art.
The mechanical types of meters have a number of shortcomings due to their mechanical nature, which cannot be overcome within the known art, said shortcomings being the complexity and high cost of changing the parking time and rate parameters; the inaccuracy and relatively low reliability of the mechanical clock mechanism, caused by dirt deposition, vibration, shocks, wear and tear; the malfunctions of the coin validating and clock winding mechanisms and cam surfaces caused by wear and tear; and inherent mechanical limitations which preclude implementation of more sophisticated but practical and useful functions like dual time rate or split time rate available within electronic timing devices. These shortcomings can be overcome by eliminating the mechanical clock and winding and flagging means associated with it, as the most vulnerable parts, and replacing them with a programmable electronic digital timing controller and comprehensive digital time and flag displays without any moving parts or components.
Further, complete replacement of the mechanical timing devices with electronic timing devices is very expensive and inefficient as one is left with a large inventory of redundant devices within which one may have a considerable investment.
However, in spite of all the aforementioned teachings, a void currently exists within the technology of timing devices that provides for the conversion of a mechanical timing device to an electronic timing device thereby retaining the capital previously invested therein, eliminating costly conversion thereto, and providing all of the desireable digital functions available within the art.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a digital electronic timing device conversion kit that will convert a mechanical timing device to a programmable electronic device using the existing housing and coin carrier mechanism of the mechanical device but eliminating the most vulnerable mechanical components therein normally subjected to wear, such as the mechanical clock, the winding mechanism and the flagging mechanism.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a kit that is easy to install and maintain.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide such a kit that will render the resulting device programmable and reliable even at temperature extremes.
It is a further object of this invention to eliminate the inefficient process of modernization by providing a kit that is fully compatible with the mechanical housings of existing time devices.
Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent to a man skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed embodiments of the invention illustrated herein.